1. Michigan State (21-5, 12-3) – It turned out to be a big week for the Spartans as they followed Tuesday’s road win over Wisconsin by overcoming a rough offensive performance to knock off Ohio State on Sunday for their third straight win. Compensating for the loss of Nick Ward will be the focus in the coming days and weeks. The Spartans next welcome Rutgers before hitting the road to take on Michigan next Sunday in a first-place showdown. Last week: 3. Rey Del Rio, Getty Images

2. Michigan (23-3, 12-3) – It’s hard to explain what happened at Penn State, but it’s likely more of an example of the difficulty of winning on the road in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions don’t have a good record, but they’ve rarely been blown out and they took advantage. The key for the Wolverines was the bounce-back at home against Maryland. It was hardly an offensive masterpiece, but the defense continues to be outstanding as things are about to get really interesting. Last week: 2. Daniel Mears, Detroit News

3. Purdue (18-7, 11-3) – The Boilermakers missed a perfect opportunity to sit alone in first place by losing on the road to Maryland. There’s no real shame in that, but it did end an eight-game winning streak for the Boilermakers. The schedule the rest of the way is the easiest among the Big Ten contenders, but four of the final six games do come on the road and it’s been proven there are few gimmes this season in the conference. Last week: 1. Michael Conroy, AP

4. Iowa (20-5, 9-5) – The Hawkeyes are living quite the charmed life these days. After beating Northwestern with a 3-pointer in the final seconds last Sunday, the Hawkeyes again looked beaten at Rutgers on Saturday. Instead, freshman Joe Wieskamp hit your standard bank-shot triple from the corner at the buzzer to give the Hawkeyes the win and keep them within striking distance of the conference leaders. Last week: 4. Adam Hunger, AP

5. Maryland (19-7, 10-5) – It was a bit of a rollercoaster week for the Terrapins as they ended Purdue’s eight-game winning streak at home before heading to Michigan to play an awful first half in a loss that kept the Terps from positioning itself one game behind the conference leaders. Winning the conference will be tough now, but the Terps do still get another shot at Iowa and will host Michigan in the final week of the season. Last week: 6. Carlos Osorio, AP

6. Wisconsin (17-8, 9-5) – The Badgers have to be done with the state of Michigan. After losing at Michigan last weekend, they dropped their second straight to Michigan State at home early this week. Getting things turned around quickly will be imperative for the Badgers to remain in the race, but only one remaining game is against a team in the top six in the conference standings. Last week: 5. Andy Manis, AP

7. Illinois (10-15, 6-8) – How about the Fighting Illini? If not for a handful of close losses in the non-conference season, the Illini might be an NCAA Tournament team. They sure have become the team no one wants to play these days, having now won four straight and five of the last six after winning at Ohio State this week. They’ve almost certainly played themselves into a bye in the Big Ten tournament, and with games still against Wisconsin and Purdue, they could keep causing headaches. Last week: 8. Paul Vernon, AP

8. Minnesota (17-9, 7-8) – Boy, did it help having a disengaged Indiana team on the schedule. The Golden Gophers entered Saturday’s home game with the Hoosiers on a four-game skid and looking like they were having trouble keeping their footing on the NCAA Tournament bubble. The blowout win might be the turnaround the Gophers need, though the next time they hit the court it will be Michigan on the other side, not Indiana. Last week: 9. Bruce Kluckhohn, AP

9. Rutgers (12-13, 5-10) – The Scarlet Knights were seconds away from a perfect week when their hearts were stomped on by Iowa freshman Joe Wieskamp, whose 3-pointer from the corner off the glass at the buzzer wiped out Geo Baker’s triple at the other end that looked like the winner. It was a tough loss, but it was another example of the direction coach Steve Pikiell has the program headed in his third season. Last week: 10. Adam Hunger, AP

10. Ohio State (16-9, 6-8) – The Buckeyes find themselves back on the NCAA Tournament bubble after dropping a home game to Illinois followed by a loss at Michigan State when they made just four shots in a miserable 13-point second half. The Buckeyes are now playing for their tournament lives with little room for error. Northwestern comes to town this week before a huge trip to Maryland next weekend. Last week: 7. Al Goldis, AP

11. Nebraska (15-11, 5-10) – There has to be some credit given to Tim Miles and the Cornhuskers, who entered the week having lost seven straight and were basically playing out the miserable string after a promising non-conference run. Wins over Minnesota and Northwestern won’t raise too many eyebrows, but considering the state the program has been in the last couple of months, it at least showed there was still some fight in Lincoln. Last week: 13. Nati Harnik, AP

12. Penn State (9-16, 2-12) – For a few minutes on Saturday, it looked like the Nittany Lions might get a winning streak going before Purdue took over down the stretch. Still, it was a positive week for the Penn State after beating Michigan at home for its second victory in three games. They’ve been playing teams close but haven’t made enough plays down the stretch. The last two weeks have shown there is a glimmer of hope things could change by next season. Last week: 14. Michael Conroy, AP

13. Indiana (13-12, 4-10) – So, it looks like the win at Michigan State a couple of weeks ago was the aberration many suspected it might have been. The Hoosiers lost seven straight entering that game and have now lost three in a row since. They got blown out at Minnesota on Saturday and now face a week that includes a visit from rival Purdue and a trip to Iowa. If they can’t get up for the Boilermakers things could get even uglier in Bloomington. Last week: 11. Bruce Kluckhohn, AP

14. Northwestern (12-13, 3-11) – The Wildcats entered the week stinging from the collapse at Iowa last Sunday and it showed in a loss at home to Rutgers followed by a loss at Nebraska. Trying to find something to play for over the final couple of weeks will be tough as the Cats look destined for a Wednesday game in the Big Ten tournament and a likely early exit as they’ve now lost six in a row. Last week: 12. Nati Harnik, AP

“There was one where I turned down a corner 3,” Livers said, “and I already knew when I went to the bench Zavier was going to yell at me.”

And junior guard Zavier Simpson certainly did because unlike last season when Livers was the fifth scoring option when he was on the floor, that’s not the case this year.

As the team’s versatile sixth man and top 3-point shooter (42.9 percent), the Wolverines need him to be a force and make his presence felt on both ends, not just on defense.

“I tell him to come in and hunt,” Simpson said. “Don't come in being passive. We don't need you to be passing. Let me do the passing.

“If he's open five times in a row, shoot it five times or drive. I tell him to come in and be thirsty. Come off the bench being thirsty and looking to score.”

With the exception of that one shot, Livers has played with a more assertive mindset the past couple games.

Against Penn State last week, he scored five straight points in 17 seconds by not passing up a clean look from 3-point range before driving hard to the rim to draw a foul and earn two free throws.

Then against Maryland, he sprinted up the floor to help create fast-break opportunities and even pushed the ball in transition off a defensive rebound. He also didn’t shy away from hoisting three consecutive open 3-point attempts, with two of those shots coming on one possession because “we always say go 0-for-8 before you go 0-for-2.”

In both of those games, there was an instance where Livers got the ball out on the perimeter, put it on the floor and attacked a soft spot in the defense by knocking down a pull-up jumper near the free-throw line.

"Coach Dre (DeAndre Haynes) and the other assistants emphasize before games just stay aggressive, take your shots,” said Livers, who is averaging 7.5 points in 21.5 minutes. “Basically, they’re telling me I can do anything any other guy out there can do, I can do just as much as they can do. I just got to believe in himself, and I have been."

And it’s not just his current teammates and coaching staff telling him that.

Even former Wolverine Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, a member of last season’s national runner-up team, gave Livers similar words of wisdom when he was in Ann Arbor this past week.

“He said sometimes he finds myself looking for a 3 more than cutting to the basket and getting a dunk or making a play for my big man,” Livers said. “It's just simple stuff like that and cutting to the basket.”

Livers has been a key cog all season and appears to be playing at the level he was earlier in the year, which took a hiatus when he was out for two games due to soreness from back spasms.

Last season, Livers suffered an ankle injury late in the regular season — the same one he slightly sprained before this season — and admitted he wasn’t the same player when he returned. But that hasn’t been the case this time and Livers said he feels “110 percent healthy.”

With his health not hindering him, Michigan coach John Beilein said there’s still another gear Livers can reach.

“We've been working with and talking with him a lot because he leaves a lot on the table,” Beilein said. “He shoots 3s well but there's another element to his game that he's still developing, and we've got to encourage it. I thought one time he drove baseline he should've went up and dunked it. But he deferred, and he made another good play and kicked it out.

“He's got to understand angles better and he's learning them. We just got to keep teaching him because he's a tremendous athlete, but he's leaving too much on the table by not having more of an edge when he's driving.”

Livers is aware of it. He tells himself when he goes out on the floor he's going to drive with a purpose and drive to score.

The key to keeping his foot on the pedal? There's one simple solution.